Conduct Standard Setting

Most exams are designed to categorize examinees into two or more levels of proficiency, most typically making a pass/fail decision. To support this intended purpose, a passing standard is applied to the exam resulting in a pass score. This is accomplished via a standard setting process involving a test developer or psychometrician working with subject matter experts and test sponsors, the definition of the minimally qualified candidates/examinee, the stated purpose of the exam, and applying interpretations and judgments to the exam content (test-centered), the performance of examinees on a set of content (examinee-centered), or both. The output of standard setting is a recommended passing score or recommended range that is the presented to the policy body that make the final passing score decision. Once that final decision has been made, examinees who meet or exceed the passing score pass the exam and any earn any associated credentials, e.g. a certification or license, assuming they meet all other requisites.

The U.S. Department of Justice has published proposed amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act. These changes could have a direct impact on the credentialing and assessment industry. The proposed changes can be found at www.ada.gov.